Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Very few know that Cardiac diseases is one of the leading killers of women in the US. It's a common myth that its only the men who are prone to a cardiac attack.In fact its the women who are more vulnerable to heart attacks since they do not take it seriously enough and delay reporting any discomfort or pain to the doctors.

"Cardiac disorder symptoms in women are fewer than men and hence diagnosis many a times is delayed due to late detection of the symptoms", Sugandhi Gopal, Consultant Cardiologist of Wockhardt Hospitals.

"Another reason for late diagnosis of heart attack in women is the peculiar manifestation of the symptoms",she said. Timely diagnosis is only possible if women are sufficiently aware of risk factors, she said, adding that women can significantly reduce their risk of heart disease if they have information they need and know the questions to ask their health care providers.

Wockhardt Hospitals unveiled "Women & Heart" initiative as part of national 'Wear Red' day - a day dedicated on 6th February,to creating awareness about heart disease in women and also launched a booklet "Heart to heart: A guide to understand women's heart disease".

National Wear Red Day originated in US and was launched by National, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institute of Health (NIH) The Heart Truth—is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Heart Truth created and introduced the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 .The Red Dress reminds women of the need to protect their heart health, and inspires them to take action. National Wear Red Day provides an opportunity for everyone to unite in the national movement to raise awareness of the #1 killer of women--heart disease--by showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, or tie, or the Red Dress Pin.

In India Wockhardt Hospitals is the first Hospital Group to Initiate " Wear Red Day" and lead this awareness on "women and heart "disease

Wear Red Day initiative is aimed at educating women and making them aware of the need to be conscious about their heart. (In India) 2.5 million people succumb to heart attacks every year and one-third of them are women.

Presenting a talk on Women & Heart, Dr. Nagraj Desai, Consultant Cardiologist, Wockhardt Hospitals said, “India is facing major health challenges due to drastic change in lifestyle and economic development. Coronary Artery Diseases in women has increased phenomenally in the last 20 years whereas there is a huge decline in the west due to aggressive modification of lifestyle habits. Statistics reveals Indians overall run the highest risk for heart diseases. Few simple lifestyle changes can substantially reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.”

As part of the initiative Wockhardt Hospitals also launched a special heart booklet –“Heart to Heart: A Guide to understanding Women’s Heart disease”. The booklet was launched an accomplished sports personality Ashwini Nachappa. you can download the booklet here.